Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting spree has got England buzzing, says Joe Root

Eoin Morgan claimed his six-hitting spree against Afghanistan went beyond his wildest dreams but, for Joe Root, who watched all but one of the 17 record-breaking blows from the non-striker’s end, the captain’s assault came as no surprise.

Root happily provided support to Morgan during England’s one-sided victory at Old Trafford on Tuesday, scoring 88 from 82 balls in classic fashion and contrasting style to the jaw-dropping 71-ball 148 that belied the captain’s recent back spasms.

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Asked if he thought Morgan had such an innings in him, Root replied: “Yes. Definitely. A lot of the time he will play in that manner, very selflessly, potentially going a little bit too hard, because he wants to set the example. He’s always been capable of doing it. It’s great to see him doing it on this stage, in a World Cup. I’m trying to find the right word to describe his innings. It was just phenomenal really, unbelievable ball striking and it completely took the game away.”

Root contributed 43 to the pair’s third-wicket stand of 189 and felt his role in that situation was simply to get his partner back on strike, something he did 17 times during their 16.5 overs together at the crease.

Root is the keystone to England’s batting unit – their top-scorer so far in the competition with 367 runs – and he fancies Morgan’s savage innings can truly inspire the team before Friday’s meeting with Sri Lanka at Headingley.

He continued: “It’s not even like Old Trafford is a small ground. It’s a fantastic achievement, especially for someone with a dodgy back. It makes you wonder how bad it actually was. But it’s a really good sign for the group having the captain in that sort of form. It gives the dressing room a huge amount of confidence.”

It is not only Morgan’s bat that has England upbeat at present. The pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood continues to trouble opponents, with the pair not only sharing 21 wickets at this World Cup but also offering significant physical threat.

This was underlined by the bouncer that struck Afghanistan’s top-scorer, Hashmatullah Shahidi, on the head and broke his helmet. As well as raising questions about the ICC’s concussion protocol – Shahidi said he defied doctors orders by batting on, hoping not to worry his mother watching on TV back home – it demonstrated Morgan’s ruthless side in asking Wood to send down another bouncer immediately.

Wood, who was affected by the blow but duly delivered on his captain’s orders, was keen to stress that once a batsman resumes, the tactic is entirely fair game. “I was concerned when I first hit him, it was a bit of a bad blow,” he said. “Then it’s out of my hands really, you have to let the medical staff do their thing. I checked he was all right, said ‘Are you OK’, then it was back into game mode.

“Morgy wanted me to fire another few down. That’s what the captain wants, you listen to orders and now that he’s all right, it’s game time again.”